AlanaJacobsEnglish207 Blog

My group’s PSA went pretty well overall. I was kind of surprised how many attempts we had to make, even with a storyboard and script. Working with the video equipment and having insufficient computers to work with were the major problems, and even those issues were minor. Changing roles around seemed to help with the filming portion. The video turned out good and I think our message and audience is made very clear. Our project is finished and burned to a CD, so the work is done for my group’s PSA.

New audience: Someone standing in line with you

Approaching a complete stranger about the usefulness of computers as an education tool would be tricky. However, I could engage in conversation about the new applications Google has provided for free such as a free 411 option for phones and cell phones as well as definition services through text messaging on cell phones. Beyond that, I could discuss a computer as being useful for his or her children with web sites such as www.easybib.comand EBSCOhost for their essays.

Computers are extremely important in school. Under-resourced schools that do not have computers or do not have enough computers, in my opinion, are really lacking a tool for students to learn. In today’s growing world of technology, computers are almost a requirement to have in education. Computers have so many features as a tool to have in school; applications such as Microsoft Office is required for academic papers and projects such as PowerPoint. Computers also provide the Internet, which gives the user access to universally everything one could possibly imagine. Without computers, education would not be what it is today.

A public service announcement should clearly convey the intended message. An effective PSA is geared toward an appropriate audience for the message, and it should be clear whether that audience is intended to be specific or widely general. The intended audience should be made just as clear as the message in the PSA. Choosing an outlet for the PSA is also important. Whether the PSA is done by means of audio or video, the outlet should fit the message and audience. Creative techniques should also be used to grab the attention of the audience and convey a resounding and meaningful message.

1. Facebook: college students should avoid posting incriminating pictures, images, or messages to their page; College students; video
2. Anti-smoking ad; smokers and loved ones of smokers; video
3. Stop sexist language and sexist or stereotypical portrayals of men or women; men and women of all ages; video or audio

The female actor portrayed the message of posting a picture online as naive and then shocked to realize the consequences of posting her picture on the Internet. The sad, dramatic music used in the video is used as a persuasive technique to convince people to avoid posting pictures of themselves that could be harmful to their reputation and embarrassing to them by peers, parents, or employers. The voice over acts as a persuasive technique a lot like the dramatic music that is playing: the voice over drives the issue at hand home. Text used at the end of the video finalized the dramatic and intense feel of the video. Words such as “Friends” and “Family” reminds the viewer who will be affected by posting certain photos or messages online.

The literacy statistics were not only interesting, but very surprising and even shocking as well. I was very shocked to see that only about 1 in 17 seventeen year olds can read, and how much this statistic ranged based on ethnicity. Reading scores being at a stand still is also kind of disappointing. I really hope our advancements in technology hasn’t had some effect on this…

Statistics on reading ability of fourth graders is a lot lower than I would expect, I didn’t realize so many children struggled in this area when I seemed to have no trouble in elementary in my reading capabilities. High and low socioeconomic status has an effect on whether children are being exposed to reading at home as well as school; this statistic was not much of a shock to me. I believe families with financial problems are usually less likely to value education because of their situation and a lot of this is due to their focus being put on their money issues and stress level.

One billion illiterate adults in the world?! And 2/3 are women? This is a crime. I also really did not realize that literacy affected health, crime, and employment. Being literate has a positive effect on everyone, including criminals- this is refreshing information.

Technology is being used today in the everyday life of the general public now more than ever, with the new advancements in technology occurring every minute. People use technology largely to communicate, whether it is communicating on a personal or business level, or just to pass around and submit ideas. The TV, radio, and Internet are all great examples of our society’s growing technology. The importance of the Internet is growing wider, as the TV and radio decline.

The role that technology plays is HUGE. Without technology, I think today’s generation would be utterly lost; the dependency on it is terrifying. While technology has many advantages, the threats are just as numerous. Technology helps us reach out to people all around the world, yet it invites strangers into ourlives. The toll it takes on our society’s literacy has negativeand positive effects: literacy now has more diversity than ever, but how efficient is the variety in helping us be literate people?

This is my visual narrative featuring my literacy in libraries.

In many of my high school classes, I have used peer editing and peer workshop exercises. Although many English teachers found these exercises beneficial and also as a social tool, I never was very fond of them or found them personally helpful. However, participating in them has helped me catch grammar or spelling mistakes that I may not have caught before, but often my own review of papers or assignments is just as effective for editing purposes.